Cordoba Leona Series Parlor Guitars – NAMM 2016

Cordoba unveils new Leona Series steel string parlor guitars, with unique Spanish-inspired design.

Cordoba Leona Series

These affordable parlor guitars feature solid tonewood body construction, carved into a 00 body that combines traditional Spanish guitar designs with classic steel string parlor construction.

To start the new Leona Series, Cordoba is releasing two new models, the Leona L9-E and L10-E, both of which aim to provide nylon string guitar players with a steel string instrument that plays and feels familiar. Interestingly, they opted to add the ease and comfort of a slightly smaller body size into the design equation. As such they serve as ideal transition instruments for nylon string players to who want venture into steel string territory.

The two models have different tonewood configurations that follow the same design and specs, as such both the look and tone would be different while playing feel would be similar.

The more premium model is the L10-E, it features conventional steel string tonewoods that include a solid Sitka spruce top and solid Indian rosewood for the back and sides. This will give the guitar a more familiar look and tone, with a balanced sound and improved sustain, while the smaller body emphasizes the middle frequencies.

The L9-E on the other hand sports a solid mahogany for the top, back and sides. This wood combination is expected to produce warmer tones with emphasis on the middle and lower frequencies. And it gives the guitar a look that’s different from the usual acoustics.

Common features include a shorter 24.2″ scale length mahogany neck that complements the smaller body shape, ebony fingerboards with 1.75″ wide bone nuts, bone saddles, light hybrid fan/X-bracing pattern, and Cordoba’s Spanish heel neck construction.

Both the L10-E and L9-E are unmistakably Cordoba, complete with Spanish style looks and cosmetics. This includes colored wood purflings, flamed maple bindings, mother-of-pearl rosette and fret markers, and ofcourse, the brand’s arched logo inlaid on the classical style slotted headstocks.

For plugging in, Cordoba equipped the two Leona models with active piezo pickups, making this guitar a true to form workhorse instrument that can be used on stage. Other features include Grover tuning machines and it comes with a Cordoba polyfoam case, which is quite nifty, especially since finding fit cases for parlor guitars can be problematic.

The Leona L9-E is expected to retail for $699, while the Leona L10-E retails for $799. More information will soon be available at Cordoba Guitars.

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